Ink
by opalheart12
Summary: Inspired by Ink by Coldplay. Caroline is a photography major with a lot of pain inside. Klaus is the head tattoo artist that invites her to the shop for inspiration. Will Caroline find the strength to move past her pain and let someone care for her at long last?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: I've been working on this for a couple weeks now and was inspired by the song Ink by Coldplay. The updates may be slightly sporadic but if the feedback on this is good, I'll set about writing more to it. Of course, I don't own anything except my plot. Enjoy!**_

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It had been a year to the day that her mother had died. Caroline seemed her normal, quiet self. She was working a morning shift in the coffee house near her campus, scrubbing the tables and the counter as she always did. She was the only one working and no one else was due to come in until the afternoon. However, Caroline strongly doubted that anyone would be trying to venture outside in the almost apocalyptic weather that nearly the entire northeast seemed to be currently experiencing.

She tossed her towel down on the bar and proceeded to make herself a hot cup of coffee the way she'd started to like it lately: black and sickeningly sweet. Her mind wandered, as it often did, to her mother. She thought about the last time she'd seen her and tried to push a feeling of guilt down in her stomach.

The day her mother died, Caroline had been making up a test she'd missed for her sociology class. Her professor had been fine with letting her do so since she was a cheerleader for Whitmore College and had to miss class from time to time. Her mother called during the test and she'd ignored it, believing she would be able to call her back when she was done. But her mother had not answered. This was normal. Sometimes her mother called when she was in class and she wasn't always able to answer. But this time was different. After her mother called and received no answer, she sent Caroline a long and detailed message saying how much she loved her and how proud of her she was.

That night, Caroline got a call from the Mystic Falls police department that Elizabeth Forbes had committed suicide. She called her father, Bill Forbes, to ask if she could come to live with him and he'd politely declined, stating that he just didn't have the time or room for her. Caroline wasn't sure what had hurt her more at the time: her mother's death or her father's rejection.

Her friends had tried to be there for her. They really did. But despite the fact that some of them knew what it was like to lose a parent, none of them knew what it was like to have a parent commit suicide. Caroline had felt trapped in Mystic Falls after the death of her mother. She'd felt that there was nowhere else she could go. Her father didn't want her and her friends had all been accepted into colleges. So, Caroline applied to Mayberry West University, a school located in somewhat rural Mayberry Hills, Vermont. She'd been accepted on a full scholarship for her grades, cheer, and the fact that she had a deceased mother as well as an absentee father.

If she was honest with herself, she could say that she was mostly content with attending Mayberry West and working in the coffee house. It was in these places that she felt safe and far removed from the nightmare that was Mystic Falls. Here, she had her own apartment and the shop was practically hers since she was the only one who ever worked. The owner, a rarely seen man by the name of Enzo, had put her in charge and paid her far more than any person in a coffee shop _should_ make because he travelled all the time.

So, at present, her life was not horrible. But she wished she didn't always feel so angry and empty and hurt. She was content, yes, but that was not the same as happy. She wondered inwardly if she might ever know the feeling of happiness again.

"Excuse me, do you work here?"

Caroline nearly jumped upon seeing that she was no longer alone inside the dim little coffee shop. She sipped at her coffee and nodded. "What do you need?"

It was a man who'd come in, one that couldn't be much older than her. He had light brown curly hair and a slight beard that seemed to age him by three or four years. He was marvelously tall, making her feel dwarf-like, and had huge dark blue eyes that seemed to be taking in everything at once. There was a hint of a smile on his face that fostered the impression that he was about to laugh at any given moment.

"Shelter, actually. Have you seen what it looks like out there?" he replied as he took off his soaked jacket and laid it across the chair next to him. He had an accent, British, if Caroline was guessing correctly. However, he didn't really seem out of place in the shop.

"I'll get you some coffee before you die of hypothermia." Caroline had meant it to come off in a joking way, but she was almost certain that she'd sounded serious. "Why are you even out in this weather anyway?"

For a while, the man watched her make his coffee, an ever present tug at the corners of his mouth. His eyes showed genuine interest in what she was doing. Part of her wanted to smack that look off his face and the other part of her found it endearing. He dug into the bag he carried on his shoulder and produced a sketchbook and a pencil.

Caroline gave him a curious look before setting his coffee down in front of him and cleaning the area she'd just been in. Silence stretched between them as she cleaned and put things away, letting out a slight huff of annoyance every now and then.

"Have I done something to offend you, Ms…?"

He'd startled her again. She was once again lost in her thoughts of Mystic Falls and her life before her mother died. She suddenly felt as if she wanted to throw up. "What?"

The man frowned slightly at this, slight concern appearing his ocean eyes. "I asked if I did anything to make you angry. You appear to be quite annoyed, and if I've done anything-"

Caroline rolled her eyes and huffed. "My name's Caroline." Her voice came out short and clipped, and somewhere in the back of her head, she knew he was just trying to be nice to her. But, she didn't care about any of it. Today was a year since the worst day of her whole life.

"Klaus Mikaelson, if it matters to you," he said, as if she hadn't just verbally repelled him. "And I was on my way back to my apartment from The Hybrid. I realized once I got to the corner of Treebrook and Hartland that that would be impossible so I decided to come in here to wait it out. I am beginning to think that may not have been the best idea seeing as you're so...angry."

His voice didn't sound condescending to Caroline, but something about the way he said what he said annoyed her. The old her, the Caroline that had existed before the death of her mother, was scolding her for being so mean to such a cute guy, but the new her couldn't find it in her to care much. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, counting to thirty. She didn't want to be an asshole to Klaus. He didn't seem like an entirely horrible guy.

"I'm sorry, Klaus, really. Today is just...not the best day and I shouldn't be taking it out on you. For me being a douche lord, you get to have free coffee for the day." This time, Caroline was actually able to manage a smile and it reached her eyes. She couldn't explain how or why she seemed to feel this comfortable around this man.

Regardless of her attitude, Klaus smiled. "Well, I thank you immensely but you should know that isn't necessary. I don't mind paying." Caroline mentally reminded herself not to charge him for anything he ordered the rest of his time there today. "Would you mind terribly if I asked what the source of your anger was today?"

She realized then that maybe she'd allowed herself to grow too comfortable in Klaus' presence. The thought occurred to her that she hadn't really been too angry since he'd walked into the shop, just annoyed that he was there ruining her wallowing in such anger.

"I don't think that is any of your business." She didn't sound angry or annoyed. If anything, her voice was flat and monotone, the way one would sound when trying to ensure that their feelings would not show in the words they were speaking to someone.

He nodded and took a sip of the coffee he had in front of him. "That is absolutely true. However, I do feel that perhaps I deserve the _Sparknotes_ version of things?"

Caroline leveled him a flat look. "My life sucks."

Suddenly, the shop was filled with a bark-like laugh, one that was absolutely hysterical, and the kind that was absolutely infectious to anyone in a mile radius. She realized that all that sound was coming from the large, tree-like man that Klaus was. She found herself, for the first time in many months, smiling and laughing. It wasn't anything close to the way she used to be before her mother died, but it made her feel better anyway. Thinking of her mother, Caroline could not have noticed that her smile faded and she got a far off look in her eyes.

Klaus, however, did notice. "The elusive thing you refused to tell me about has taken root in your mind again, I see." It was an observation, and yet Caroline found herself compelled to tell him anyway, despite the fact that she didn't know him. Maybe that was why she felt compelled to tell him.

It had been pure hell telling her friends what had happened to her mother. They'd tried to understand, and they'd tried to help her. Lord knew they did. But they wanted her to talk about it and refused to respect the fact that she just couldn't. The one exception to this rule was Bonnie. She hadn't said anything more other than apologizing for her loss. She knew Caroline better than Elena did, and knew her well enough to know that all she wanted was someone to be there for her. Elena had good intentions, but she'd annoyed and eventually alienated Caroline. Tyler had tried to help too: he'd lost his father and thought he could relate to what Caroline was going through. But he really didn't. No one did. It was one thing for your parent to die of cancer, a car accident, or some other natural occurrence. It was another thing entirely to know that your parent actually took their own life.

"I suppose that would be absolutely awful. I would say that I could relate, because my own father took his own life, but I doubt that is what you wish to hear right now." Klaus said eventually.

It shocked Caroline to realize she'd said all of this out loud. Her mind had been so far away from Klaus and the shop and Mayberry Hills. She found, though, that talking about it didn't cause her anger anymore so much as it seemed to only cause her pain and sadness.

"We were so close. We were together all the time, and when I was at Whitmore, she called me every single morning and evening. I just...I can't understand how..._why_ she would…"

"Leave you?" Klaus finished her question, his expression becoming unreadable when he noticed that Caroline was now openly crying. He cocked his head to the side; the way a dog might, feeling vaguely useless at not being able to comfort her.

"It sounds so selfish when you put it that way."

"She was your mother. From what it sounds like, you were a hell of a lot closer to your parents than I ever was with mine." Klaus started drinking his coffee again, his eyes wandering around the shop as he waited for Caroline to collect herself.

"You're mistaken, Klaus." Caroline answered with a bitter laugh. "I was close to my mother. My father? He didn't want me. Told me he didn't have the space or time for me. Imagine that."

Silence engulfed the shop, and all that could be heard was the sound of rain pounding against the windows and roof. The wind had now taken on a howling effect. From where she was standing, Caroline couldn't see anyone outside. The few cars that dared to be out in this weather were crawling by at a snail's pace to minimize the risk of hydroplaning.

"What ridiculous men." Klaus spoke up eventually. He was stirring his coffee absently and closed his notebook.

Caroline decided not to ask what he meant and just began making herself a latte. "So, you said you were coming back from The Hybrid. Why?" Her attempt to lighten the mood worked apparently since Klaus was giving her that weird smile again.

"I work there," Klaus replied. "I'm a tattoo artist. The head tattoo artist, actually."

Caroline's eyes widened slightly at this as she began to look over Klaus again. He was wearing a jacket with a sweater underneath, dark jeans, and some sort of dark shoes. This hair, though slowly drying, was still plastered to his forehead. Peeking up out of the collar of the sweater was a tattoo that seemed to wrap around his neck, though Caroline wasn't quite sure what it was.

"It's a wolf, Caroline. I wanted it to be a vampire since I do my best work at night, but I think I probably fit the nature of a werewolf a bit more. So it's a wolf with golden eyes and slightly different teeth. The teeth are vampire teeth with blood dripping from them." Klaus explained.

Her eyebrow went up as she smiled slightly. "That's pretty cool. How long did it take to get done?"

His hands went up to rest behind his head and he sat a bit more backward in the chair. "It took about four hours. My neck was strained for days after that and my hands were unbelievably crampy."

Caroline came around the bar to sit in the chair next to him. "You did that yourself? With no help?"

"I did. It'll be the last time I do a tattoo on myself for a while. What about you? What do you do?" Klaus asked.

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm a photography major. I really don't know what's going to happen when I graduate, but I got into photography not long after my mother died. But lately...I haven't felt that urge I usually do to take pictures. If I just had something to push me...I don't know."

Klaus watched her as if she were the most interesting person in the whole wide world, waiting to see if she would talk again before asking, "What are you doing tonight?"

"Well, I have a natural photography class this evening at 5pm but the teacher cancelled because of the rain, so nothing. Why?"

"I work at The Hybrid from 7pm to 3am. If you want to come in and just look at the work we do...maybe you'll feel inspired to take more pictures. What do you think?"

Caroline watched him as she tugged at her lips before setting her shoulders and asking, "Are you asking me out?"

That same bark-like laughter filled the shop again and Caroline found herself smiling along with him. "Yes," he replied. "Yes, I suppose I am. Thought I don't think it could really be called that since I'll be at work."

For the first time in a while, Caroline genuinely laughed. "You know what they say," she said after a while. "It isn't work if you're doing what you love."

He laughed along with her and a large smile took over his face, the type that seemed to make your split your face in half. "You're certainly right, Caroline. You are most certainly right."

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_**A/N: What did you think? Leave some reviews so I can know if it's a good idea to add more to this story! **_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: Glad to see the positive feedback the first chapter got! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it. Of course, I own nothing. Enjoy!**_

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Caroline had never been inside of a tattoo shop before. She imagined that The Hybrid might be a dingy old building with flickering lights, peeling paint, and a vague smell of alcohol. She imagined it would look old and tiny. She was very wrong.

The Hybrid sat on the corner of Maybrook Main Avenue and Hartland Drive. It was a smart location, seeing as Hartland Drive led directly into Mayberry West University. Maybrook Main Avenue was where all the clubs, lounges, boutiques, restaurants, and lofts were. There was no way The Hybrid _wasn't_ making piles of money every month.

The shop itself didn't look brand new, but it didn't look old as dirt either. When she walked in, she realized that someone must have lit incense, as there was a vague smoke to the air and a pleasant smell that accompanied it. The walls were painted a dark red and were covered in posters and pictures of old musicians, movies, and wildlife pictures. The floors were a dark mahogany and the lights were slightly dimmed. The waiting area where she stood currently contained two large, long black leather couches and a long coffee table covered in magazines. The front desk was currently abandoned, though an unfinished coffee and a half-eaten sandwich sat on the desk next to an appointment book, computer, cash register, and bank card scanner. Above the desk was a poster with prices for each service.

Through the large doorway ahead was a larger room with about six stations in it. Almost each one seemed to have a mini fridge and a small armchair within it. There was a speaker in each corner of the room, making it so that the music playing seemed to engulf the entire shop.

"Oh, good, you came!" An accented voice said, startling Caroline. She looked over at the now occupied front desk and saw a girl with dark hair and bright brown eyes. She had a slight accent that sounded Australian.

"I'm Caroline Forbes. I'm here to see Klaus Mikaelson. Is he busy?" Caroline asked the girl.

She smiled in return, though Caroline got the impression that it wasn't quite genuine. The girl took a long sip from her coffee before replying. "I'm Hayley, the receptionist. Klaus is in his office if you wanna go back there. It's the door next to the restroom."

It was ten minutes before 7pm and there was no one else in the shop but the people who worked there. Soon, Caroline was at the back of the shop and she brought her hand up to knock, only to have it open suddenly in front of her. Klaus stood there, staring down at her with those oceanic eyes of his.

"You made it. I take it the weather was not too horrible." He breezed past her and sat down on the tattoo chair before indicating for her to sit in the armchair. They currently occupied the last station that was mere steps from Klaus' office.

"It's super cold with the wind blowing out there and there's a slight drizzle that will likely turn into a downpour later." This was why Caroline's hair was up in haphazard bun and her neck was wrapped in a thick tan scarf that offset the black riding boots and pea coat she was currently donning. Her hands felt slightly numb from the wind and she quickly placed them underneath her when she sat down.

She watched as Klaus pulled a thick binder from one of the shelves beneath the table and passed it toward her. "Every person that works here, bar Hayley, has a book with all their work in it. A lot of times, we show it to customers when they need inspiration, or we look back in them when we've hit a block."

"So, you're showing this to me because I've hit a block." Caroline replied, her fingers on the edges of the thick pages.

Klaus nodded. "I want you to look through every tattoo I've done and tell me how you feel afterward."

He left Caroline to look through his book as he went around the shop preparing to open. Two other artists arrived: a man by the name of Marcel and a girl who looked even younger than Caroline named Davina. Klaus mentioned their names and Caroline responded in polite greeting before returning to the book. Nearly two hours had passed and she was almost to the end of the book. She'd tried to take time to look at each piece, trying to figure out what each of them meant to her and what they might have meant to the person that got them. She was fascinated by Klaus' versatility. He seemed to have mastered an array of different styles and Caroline had a fleeting thought that whenever she decided to get a tattoo, she wanted to come to The Hybrid for it.

"I got hot chocolate if you want some." A voice said, forcing Caroline to tear her eyes away from the final page of Klaus' book. Standing in front of her with a cup of hot chocolate in an outstretched hand was the tiny girl called Davina. She had long dark hair, huge brown eyes, little puckering lips, and chubby cheeks that made Caroline want to reach out and pinch them. Presently she was wearing a dark blue sweater, tights, and brown boots that clicked when she walked in them.

Caroline smiled at her. "Thanks. I didn't really notice how cold I started feeling." The shop was filled with the sound of buzzing. Marcel was currently at work doing a large and intricate flower piece on a possibly drunk Mayberry student. Klaus was replacing the ink in some off the stations and straightening them up. Hayley had her earphones in and was watching some program on her computer intently. It was a Monday night and therefore, one of The Hybrid's slower nights.

Davina sat down on the tattoo chair and sipped at her hot chocolate before speaking again. "So, Klaus told me you're a photographer. That's pretty cool."

Caroline swallowed a rather large gulp of hot chocolate. "I'm a photography major. I really got into it when I started high school. It kind of started with me wanting to document everything that I saw that I liked in some way. It went from silly things like pictures of me and my friends to nature and things around the house to things like people sitting in the park or…or my mother at the table having her morning coffee."

If Davina noticed the wistful tone in Caroline's voice she didn't comment on it. Instead she wrapped her hands around the warm cup before saying, "My parents are dead. My mom was a little…maybe a lot…fucked up in the head. She used to say she could see things or hear people talking to her that weren't even there. One night she came after me with a knife, claiming some voice told her to get rid of me. My dad heard all the noise, heard me screaming, and ran downstairs to try to stop her. I was in a corner of the kitchen crying while he tried to talk her down. But the next thing I knew he had a knife sticking out of his chest and he was on the ground. He told me to get out of the house and go get help."

Caroline felt her mouth dry up from how wide open it was. Her hand was covering it as tears stung at her eyes. Davina had a distant look in her eyes and Caroline couldn't figure out for the life of her why the young girl had decided to divulge such information with her.

"I ran to Marcel. He lived next door to us. I've known him for as long as I can remember. He's six years older than me. He saw how upset I was and crying for him to call 911. He told me to stay in his house when the police arrived. They said that when my mother realized that she'd killed my father she slit her own throat."

Caroline let a pained sob escape her throat as a hoarse, "Oh, God." escaped her mouth. Davina nodded and took another sip of her drink before speaking again.

"Marcel saved my life. He took me in and let me stay with him and his family. I was twelve when it happened, so he was already eighteen, but he still lived with his mother and grandmother. They took me in and treated me as if I were another child. I was homeschooled after that and I graduated earlier than the other kids my age. Marcel used to show me the tattoos he drew on people because he knew I was really good at drawing. I wanted to follow in his footsteps."

Davina was openly smiling now and Caroline suddenly wished that she could smile like that, like there had been a light at the end of her tunnel. Her heart suddenly felt unreasonably heavy and it felt as if it was squeezing tightly. She longed for the innocent, sweet, bubbly Caroline that had existed before her mother died and her father decided he didn't want her.

"How did you end up here?" Caroline asked eventually.

Davina shrugged. "We grew up in New Orleans but once I finished homeschool, he insisted on getting me out of the city and start somewhere new. Klaus was a good friend of his from college and when he started The Hybrid, he asked Marcel to come work for him. I begged Marcel and Klaus to let me work here and they did one condition. I have to be enrolled at Mayberry and I can only work in the shop twice a week."

Despite the extremely heartbreaking story that Davina had just shared, she had a way of lightening the mood in way that made you almost forget that she'd recounted such a horrible thing. Caroline felt a small smile tugging at her lips.

"What's your major?" she asked.

Davina let out a sweet melodic laugh that reminded Caroline of wind chimes. "It's going to sound ironic but I'm majoring in child psychology. I want to be a therapist for kids like me, kids who experienced some really fucked up shit but don't have anyone to turn to. Anyway, the reason I said all that was just so you know there's someone that understands you and that understands why you're in a block right now."

Caroline found herself setting her chocolate down and leaning forward to hug Davina tightly. "Thank you so much, Davina." Her eyes were stinging with unshed tears and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. She didn't want anyone to see her crying. "You're going to make a great therapist."

Davina hugged her back and gave her a wide smile before going back up to the front to see if there were any customers. Caroline tugged at her lip, unaware that she was now hugging Klaus' book to her chest. She decided then that she would try to come to The Hybrid as often as she could, not only to see Klaus but to also see Davina.

"What did you think?" Klaus' voice carried her out of her thoughts and for a second, she was unsure if he was referring to Davina or the book. She decided to answer the latter.

"Your tattoos are amazing. They all look so amazing." Caroline's voice sounded slightly awed and Klaus gave her a bashful smile that made her stomach flutter a bit.

"Which ones did you like the most?"

"Your flower pieces. They remind me a lot of my mom. She always loved flowers, especially magnolias." Caroline replied, smiling slightly.

Klaus sat on the chair across from her. "There is your out. Perhaps you can do your own book of your photography. Start off with flowers, since they make you feel closer to your mother."

For the first time in a while, Caroline felt hope spark within her. She realized that Klaus was right. She could start again with things that reminded her of her mother. She could already feel the excitement bubbling inside of her and it reminded her, for a few moments, of the Caroline she used to be. Klaus seemed to be able to sense all this as he watched her because he was smiling at her encouragingly.

"Thank you so much, Klaus." She said as she hugged him and smile gratefully at him. "You really don't know how much this means to me. I feel closer to her already."

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_**A/N: Well what did you guys think? Should I keep going? Be sure to leave reviews! Until next time…**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Welcome back! So, this chapter is gonna be a tad shorter than the last one but given how hectic school has been, this was as much as I could get out. I will definitely try to get another chapter up before the end of next week! As usual, I own nothing. Onward!**_

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Caroline stayed at The Hybrid until it closed. Davina had left around 10pm with Hayley, after Marcel insisted that she get some work done and get to sleep. Klaus nominated Hayley to walk Davina back to her dorm on campus. Despite Klaus' many objections, Caroline helped close by sweeping, cleaning the mirrors, and sanitizing the stations. She'd seen Klaus do it for opening and didn't believe it was too hard. Marcel thought it was hilarious and likened Klaus to an angry bull blowing steam out of its nose.

"I'm going to have to start paying you if you keep this up." Klaus commented as he walked to his office with the money from the front.

"Fine by me." Caroline responded, smiling even more when Marcel spouted laughter from the front of the shop. She sat with Klaus for another thirty minutes until he and Klaus decided everything was done. Marcel gave her a hug as Klaus locked up the shop.

"I really like you, Caroline. You should come over for dinner one day at my apartment. Davina can make some damn good crawfish bisque. What do you think?" He had that ever-present face splitting smile on his face that made you think he knew a joke but was waiting on you to get it.

Caroline hugged him back. "It was really nice meeting you and Davina. I'd love to come over for dinner with you two sometime, provided I can help out."

"Oh, of course!" After more small talk and another hug, Marcel left them and they were alone on the main street.

She linked her arm with Klaus' and moved closer to him as the wind howled unforgivingly around them. With her free hand, she tightened her scarf before burying the other hand in the deep pocket of her pea coat.

"I love your shop," she said. "It's amazing."

Klaus gave her that same bashful smile again, like he was slightly embarrassed by the praise she was giving his shop. "It's good, yeah. I love it. It's my heart, you know? It's all I think about when I'm not there. I'm always coming up with ways to let more people know about it and go to events. It's…well, yeah, it's amazing."

The air was filled with that barking laugh of his and Caroline suddenly felt a warm feeling travel from her stomach to her chest, causing her to smile involuntarily. "So it's 3:30am in Mayberry. What should we do?" She watched him as his head tilted to the side and he looked up thoughtfully.

"We could go back to my apartment and I could cook you dinner." He replied eventually.

Caroline laughed and looked away toward the sparse main street. "Klaus it's almost 4am! You can't cook me dinner!"

She felt him shrug from next to her. "Well, it's dinner time _somewhere_ in the world, love! Besides, late night dinners are the best sort, I think." He smiled down at her before unhooking his arm from hers and putting it around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

"Whatever, weirdo."

Fifteen minutes later, they were at Klaus' apartment which, Caroline was surprised to learn, was two blocks from her own. She hadn't wanted to stay on campus when she moved to Mayberry. He lived on the top floor of the complex in a spacious two bedroom apartment that was nicer than the most expensive house in Mystic Falls. She fought hard to keep her jaw off the floor as she walked through the door. The walls inside were brick and the floors were mahogany, suspiciously similar to the floors of The Hybrid. There were two fluffy leather couches and a leather armchair making a semi-square around a dark coffee table. The kitchen was visible from the living room, a beautiful array of dark cherry wood, granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances. Klaus immediately set about lighting a fire in the fireplace while Caroline took off her coat and boots. Beneath all that, she was wearing a long sweater, tights, and thick black socks with pumpkins on them.

She curled up on the sofa and pulled the sleeves of her sweater further down to envelope her hands after letting down her hair. It fell around her face in wavy curls. She hadn't realized just how cold it had been outside until the fire seemed to engulf the entire room in warmth and the goose bumps went away. Klaus made himself busy in the kitchen and she got up to sit on a barstool that sat in front of a counter looking into the kitchen.

"What are you making?" she asked as she tried to peer around him.

"The best late night snack ever. A bacon and sharp cheddar grilled cheese sandwich with a side of red wine. You like red wine, don't you?" Klaus asked, turning away from the skillet.

Caroline smiled in return. "Love it. The last time I had it was when Bonnie and Elena came to my house for my sixteenth birthday and I drank the whole bottle my mom had stashed. It was hilarious! I was laughing at everything and I fell asleep upright while I was group hugging Elena and Bonnie. I woke up in the hallway by my door with my blanket wrapped around me. None of us made it to the bed!"

Klaus watched her recount the story as he took two sandwiches out of the skillet and placed them on plates in front of her. His smile widened slightly when he set a glass in front of her and began pouring wine into it.

Caroline noticed the look and abruptly stopped. "I'm rambling, aren't I?" There was a slightly crestfallen look on her face and Klaus was struck suddenly by the notion that he never wanted to see that look on her face again. She was far too beautiful to see such a thing take residence upon her face.

He came around and sat next to her, watching as she took a large bite of the sandwich to avoid talking. "Not rambling, no. I am quite interested to know how this story ends." He gave her that face-splitting smile of his again that warmed Caroline from the inside out. She swallowed what she was chewing and grinned as she took a long sip of the wine.

"Elena and Bonnie hadn't had _nearly_ as much as I had! They only had, like, _half_ a glass and they fell asleep, the lightweights!" Caroline let out a burst of laughter that made Klaus' chest and ears tingle with satisfaction. Compared to the way she'd acted in the coffee shop, Caroline was far more outgoing. He got the feeling that this was probably the type of person she'd been before her mother's death.

"I bet that hangover was torture." He commented before taking a bite of his own sandwich.

Her eyes widened and laughed again. "Oh, God, yes! My mom was so angry when she found me in the hallway. I was sleeping face first into the floor and she thought something had happened until she saw the bottle."

Her cheery mood had tapered off and she suddenly looked a bit more sober. Klaus tried to strangle the uncomfortable sensation that was beginning to fill him up. He knew the unhappy Caroline was coming back and it made him feel many variations of sad, helpless, and uncertain. He noticed that she'd stopped talking and was now staring intently into the nearly empty glass of wine.

"Caroline," Klaus said, leaning forward so he faced her. "You mustn't be afraid of talking to me about your mother or whatever else. I won't judge you or think any different of you."

He felt the shake of her body before she'd even started crying. She got up from the bar and walked over to the couch she'd previously occupied. He saw her pull her knees up to her chest and hug them tightly, as if it were a life raft in the middle of a stormy sea. He saw the bright gleam in her eyes that signaled tears that had not yet fallen but would do so soon. Wanting to give her some space, Klaus sat at the end of the one Caroline was on, patiently waiting for her to talk whenever she was ready.

"It was my sixteenth birthday and my dad didn't even call me. He didn't even send me a card! Nothing! I don't know why I was even surprised. The last time I can remember my dad doing anything at all for me was when I was way younger, like 3, maybe. Mom wasn't stupid. She saw how excited I would get every single year about the possibility of getting something from him and she saw how much he let me down every single year. She never once said, 'I told you so.', to me, but she didn't have to." Caroline croaked out. She was still trying to keep the tears at bay, but any moment now the dam would break.

"I called him. I called him on the only number I knew he had. He called me sometimes, once every couple years. So I called him on that number on my sixteenth birthday, and some _bitch_ answered the phone!" She laughed humorlessly, not missing a beat as she wiped the tears away from her face. "Turns out he'd gotten married again. He'd gotten married again and had _children_. His wife never even knew I existed! Do you know how humiliating that is?"

Her voice had escalated to a point hovering near yelling but Klaus found his mind void of anything to say to make her feel better. He sat still as a statue, though, and let her finish.

"I'd always hoped that maybe he would come back for _me_. I didn't care if he and mom didn't get along. I just…I just wanted him to…_care_ about me! But that day, I knew I didn't matter to him. Something changed, and I just _knew _I stopped hoping for anything from him. So, that's why I downed a whole bottle of Malbec. I liked the way it felt, you know? When I drank every drop of wine out of that bottle, it was so easy to forget how hurt I was, how much I'd been let down. It was so easy to forget."

For several long moments, silence filled the room in a way that felt stifling to Klaus. Suddenly, he leaned across the sofa and took her into his arms, holding her tightly as if he could, somehow, protect her from the things that hurt her. She let out a sad, horrible sob as she cried into his shirt. He pulled a blanket from the edge of the sofa and wrapped around the two of them.

"I'm sorry, Caroline. I am so _very_ sorry, my dear."

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_**A/N: I wanted to write a bit past this but nothing felt right. It felt right to end this particular chapter right here because I thought it conveyed the real gravity of everything Caroline has been feeling while also laying the foundation for Klaus and Caroline's relationship. Hope you guys liked it! Leave reviews! Until next time…**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: Hello, amazing people! I'm back again! This chapter is my favorite so far to have written. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! As usual I own nothing. Enjoy!**_

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Caroline woke up rather suddenly to the sound of thunder. It set her heart racing so fast that she thought it might jump from her chest. She felt the building shake slightly. It was then that she realized where she was. She was in a bed, a bed that was not her own. Fear zoomed through her as another clap of thunder sounded overhead. She remembered Klaus. She was in Klaus' bed. She looked to the space next to her and saw that the bed was empty.

Caroline looked around and noticed the room was darkened from the dark rainy sky outside. A glance at the alarm clock on the night table said it was 9am. Luckily, she didn't have any classes today and didn't have to work at the coffee shop. She was off from there for the next three days. Stretching out, she looked around again. The bed must have been a king, with dark sheets and a gray blanket on it. The pillows she was currently resting her head on were the most comfortable things she'd ever experienced. There were rugs all over the hardwood floor that Caroline mentally thanked Klaus for when she finally got up.

When she got to the living room, Caroline felt a warm tingly feeling bloom through her entire body at the sight she saw there. Klaus was sprawled across the couch, shirtless with a blanket tangled up in his limbs. He looked so peaceful and carefree in his sleep and Caroline realized after a while that she was staring at him. Not wanting to overstay her welcome, she grabbed her coat and boots and tried to mentally prepare herself for the onslaught of frigid air and rain she was about to experience.

"Where on earth are you going, Caroline?" a groggy voice said. She jumped, slightly startled, and turned to see Klaus staring at her through sleepy eyes.

She paused, having not put on her boots just yet. She had been tightening her scarf around her neck. "I'm going back to my apartment. I didn't want to…you know…bother you." Caroline didn't believe she was a shy person but in that moment, she felt downright timid.

"I enjoy your company immensely, Caroline. Please don't ever think that you are bothering me." He said softly.

Caroline nodded and went about fidgeting with her boots. She had the zipper down and was about to put one on her foot when a large hand covered hers. She looked up into Klaus' oceanic eyes and felt her breath go short.

"You are not going _anywhere_ in this weather, Caroline. I don't…I don't want you to leave."

He squeezed her hand firmly as she stared up at him. She wanted to drown in those deep blue eyes of his.

"But I—"

"_Please_, Caroline."

How could she even dream of saying no to him? She sighed, pushing away her boots and shoving her coat back toward the edge of the sofa. It suddenly seemed rather hot, so she ditched the scarf. It occurred to her then that she hadn't yet showered.

"There's a spare room down the hall. Davina stays here every now and then, so I'm sure she has something in there you can wear." He said, as if he could read her mind. He stood up and stretched before heading to the kitchen.

As it turned out, Davina had an unreasonably large amount of clothing in the spare room. Caroline was relieved to find that she and Davina were the same size, and downright ecstatic when she saw a bag of underwear from Victoria's Secret that hadn't ever been worn. She dug out a pair of tights, a tank top, and an enormous LSU hoodie. Satisfied with her choices, she practically skipped down the hall to the bathroom.

If she thought Klaus' apartment could not get any more amazing, she'd been horribly wrong. She didn't know if she would ever leave the bathroom. A large claw foot tub with bright silver knobs greeted her. There was a rug in front of the tub and in front of the bowl sink. Unlike the rest of Klaus' apartment, the bathroom was bright.

Giving the tub a longing look, she went instead to the corner of the bathroom where a large shower with a giant showerhead stood. Soon the bathroom was filled with steam and Caroline took her time in the shower, laughing every time she got the showerhead on to another setting.

"Did you have to fetch the coal to warm the water yourself, love?" Klaus asked when Caroline was back in his bedroom. After her warm shower, she was far more aware of how cold the apartment had gotten and hurried back to Klaus' bedroom. He'd been waiting for her there with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and biscuits.

"Your bathroom is the best bathroom ever! How could you _not_ want to stay in there forever?" She climbed into the bed next to him, gingerly taking a biscuit and hovering over the tray he'd brought in. He chuckled and gave her an amused look.

"Caroline, what are you doing?" He looked as if he might burst apart from trying to hold in his laughter but Caroline didn't understand why.

"I'm trying not to get crumbs on your bed! See, look! No crumbs!" Caroline gave him exasperated sigh and took a sip of the hot chocolate, moaning slightly at the warm feeling that spread through her chest when she did so.

Klaus was looking at her in a way she could not quite identify when she finished draining the mug. Deciding not to analyze it further, Caroline got up from the bed and went to collect the tray with the now empty plates and mugs on them. She was going to wash them until Klaus firmly told her that he would do so and could she please stop being so polite.

She was back in the bed moments later as was Klaus. They were comfortably silent and full, getting lost in the sounds of the ridiculous rain storm outside. Eventually, Caroline spoke again.

"Thanks, Klaus."

"For what?" he replied absently, still pulling himself from his thoughts.

"For just…I don't know, really. But, thanks. I know we haven't even really known each other long but you're honestly one of the sweetest guys I've ever met." She wished she could take the words back when she said them. Was she being too forward? Would he just think of her as some sad pathetic girl? She immediately looked down into her lap, toying with her hands and wringing them nervously.

She liked Klaus. She liked him a lot already. He was funny and sweet and caring and talented. He reminded her of the person she hoped she could become one day. A smile touched her lips as she thought about that. She'd smiled more around Klaus in the last two days than she had at all in the last year. Not to mention he understood the pain she felt inside. He didn't have to try to grasp for understanding because it was already there. Caroline decided right then that Klaus was somebody she wanted in her life, whether it be as a friend or something more. He was exactly the kind of person she needed right now.

"Look at me, please." He said it as if it was more of a slight command than a plea and for a reason Caroline wasn't quite sure of, it thrilled her. But she was still nervous about what she'd said. She really didn't want to push Klaus away. So, she looked up at him, slightly surprised at how much closer to her he'd moved.

"Why are you so afraid to talk to me?" It was a simple question but one that Caroline was slightly afraid to answer.

"I don't…I'm not." Yet even as she said it, they both knew she was lying.

"You are." He said, moving now so that he was sitting directly in front of her. He took her hands from her lap and held on to them. "Whenever you say something to me, you always look down and start playing with your hands, like you're afraid of what I might say in return. Are you afraid of me, Caroline?"

She could see the hurt and confusion on his face. She felt like someone knocked the wind out of her. Seeing that look on his face made her feel extremely uncomfortable and it was a look she never wanted to see again. "No," she replied. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Then what is it?"

She opened her mouth several times in an attempt to speak but the words were not coming out. Finally, she took a deep breath and sighed. "I don't know, Klaus. You're the first person that has understood me and cared to ask how I feel and tried to help me move on. I'm not used to this. I wasn't able to say anything about how I felt or what I was going through for the longest time because, well, no one _cared_ anymore. People moved on with their lives without me. It's why I moved away from Mystic Falls. But even then everything I felt and everything I was going through…it changed me. I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't want to burden you with my shit. I don't want you to think I'm this sad loser that can't get out of her own head."

He gave her a look as if she had three eyes and six arms. "I do not think any of those things about you, Caroline. It is quite the opposite. I believe you are the most beautiful woman I've encountered in all my life and you never have to question if I care to hear anything you have to say because _everything_ you say to me is like music to my ears."

She wanted to cry. She could feel her throat constricting and her breathing speeding up. But she didn't want to cry, not in front of Klaus. So, she did the only thing that seemed right. She launched herself into his arms, clinging tightly to him. It struck her then that she couldn't recall another time in her life when she'd felt so protected and cared about by one person. It didn't matter to her that she'd only known Klaus for two days. She could already feel something blooming between them and it made her heart do somersaults.

He hugged her back tightly and she heard him whisper, "You don't have to be afraid anymore, Caroline. You don't have to cry anymore."

He had no idea how much of a relief it was to hear him, or anyone for that matter, say that to her. It felt that all she had been for the last year was angry and sad and afraid and bitter. She didn't want to be that person anymore. She didn't want to hate her parents for abandoning her. She didn't want to be so sad about losing her mother that she couldn't go on with her life anymore. She knew that wasn't the life Elizabeth Forbes had wanted for her daughter. She wanted to eventually forgive her father for never being there for her and for leaving her out to dry when she needed him the most.

She would get better. She _had_ to.

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_**A/N: Did you like it? I thought this would be a wonderful spot to end this chapter. Reviews are appreciated! Until next time…**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Greetings! Hope you guys loved that last chapter and this one as well since I really loved writing them! Chapters are going to come once a week or once every two weeks now that I'm really getting into schoolwork, though I will try to have them up more often. Of course, I own nothing. Enjoy!**_

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It rained the entire day. Caroline had given up the idea that she would go back to her apartment, instead asking Klaus if he minded her staying another night. He told her she never had to ask if she wanted to stay at his apartment to which she responded by kissing him on the cheek.

It was somewhere near 9pm and Klaus was thankful that he had the next two days off from the shop, leaving Marcel in charge. At present, he and Caroline were watching a movie, or rather he was. Caroline had fallen asleep quite some time ago in Klaus' lap after complaining about a headache. He'd given her the last 2 Tylenol PMs he had in the kitchen with hot cocoa at her request. He looked down at her peaceful face and tried to remember the last time he'd felt so happy.

Klaus Mikaelson had not had a happy life. There were very few moments in his life that he could easily classify as being happy moments.

His mother and step-father had had a long and rocky marriage, such was the norm for two wealthy people in a practically arranged marriage. Michael hadn't ever given his children any illusions that he loved them. He was a very hard and impossible man and made it very clear that he didn't care about Klaus nearly as much as he did Elijah, Finn, Kol, and Rebekah. But that suited Klaus. Elijah was more of a father to him than Mikael was, despite the fact that they were very close in age. Esther, his mother, had cared about them in her own way, though it wasn't very obvious through the haze of prescription drugs and alcohol.

He recalled the first worst day in his life: the day his mother died.

Esther Mikaelson had a drug overdose: the result of one too many Xanax being chased by Fireball. Mikael had been the one to find her in their bed, appearing for all intents and purposes that she was asleep. From then on, Mikael was never the same and less than a year later, he'd taken his own life via hanging himself. That time, it had been Elijah that found him. He'd later confided to Klaus that that had not been the first time he'd found Mikael in such a predicament. Mikael had been trying to kill himself for quite some time.

Klaus felt horrible for Elijah. Besides Marcel, he liked to believe that Elijah was his best friend. They had an unbelievably tumultuous relationship, but then all the Mikaelson children did. Elijah had to shoulder a lot of stress and responsibility for them and yet he'd never complained. Klaus had told him many times that he did not know where he might be without him.

He recalled then the second worst day of his life: when Kol and Finn had died in a car accident nearly a two years to the day that Esther died. He'd felt gutted. He'd felt numb. He's never really mourned their loss so visibly. At that moment, he felt that it was his fault for being so poisonous and cancerous. Whoever he loved left him in one way or another. He shoved away his feelings of inescapable grief and pain because he needed to be strong for Rebekah and Elijah.

He'd gone to college all the way in New Orleans, Louisiana putting thousands of miles between his family and his pain. He attended Tulane University where he met Marcel Gerard. They both majored in Art, getting their master's degrees before Klaus opened the shop in Mayberry. He'd been driving back to New York City from Boston when he'd passed through the small college town. He wasn't sure he knew why but he felt as if he were meant to be there. He called Marcel, asking if he would like to work in his shop and the rest was history.

"Klaus?" a small voice asked, stirring him from his thoughts. He looked down and saw Caroline looking at him through sleepy eyes.

"Yes?"

"Could we go to your room? This sofa is making me sore."

Without a word, he switched off the TV before scooping up Caroline and carrying her to the room. She was asleep again, softly snoring before her head even hit the pillow.

Just looking at her made him happy. He didn't want to label what they had between them yet for fear of jinxing it. All he knew presently was that he certainly enjoyed her company and everything about her thus far. Their relationship was not conventional by any means so far but he was alright with that. He decided that when Caroline was awake again he would ask her out officially for a date.

Klaus lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. The rain had stopped but he was certain it would start up again in a few hours. For now, he was content to let the muted howl of the wind carry him gently through his mind.

He missed his siblings.

Rebekah was studying fashion in Paris but traveled all the time as she was an intern for a designer by the name of Kora Ori. It was her dream job and she hardly ever had time to talk to Klaus and Elijah. A part of him resented that, but he could hardly be cross with her when she was living her dream.

Elijah was back in England working as the CEO for Esther's publishing company White Oak, which she'd left to him in her will. Elijah offered the position to Klaus, but be hadn't wanted it, nor would he ever. Elijah was better suited for that sort of thing both literally and figuratively. A smile came upon Klaus' face when he thought of how his older brother always wore suits everywhere he went.

Compared to his surviving siblings, Klaus' occupation paled in comparison but he didn't care. He was more than happy owning his tattoo shop and occasionally selling his paintings for comission, though he hadn't done that for a while now. Esther, and surprisingly Mikael, had both left him a sizeable fortune. They had done so for all of their children. When Finn and Kol died, their fortune went to Elijah, who used it to set up a foundation in their name for victims of motor vehicle accidents. It was all very admirable to Klaus and he truly was amazed at his older brother.

An odd feeling jolted him out of his mind and he realized that Caroline had curled into him, wrapping her hands around his arm and laying almost on his shoulder. Klaus instantly felt himself relax into her touch and found that he was tired. He closed his eyes and drifted away to sleep, thanking whoever in the afterlife that cared enough about him to deliver Caroline into his life.

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Klaus woke up from a nightmare he couldn't recall with the sheets clinging to his body. Sweat glazed his body and his heart was racing unreasonably fast. His eyes adjusted to the darkness and, upon looking at the clock on the nightstand, he saw that it was getting to close to 4am. Next to him, Caroline had one arm draped across his chest. He carefully extricated himself from her and crept into the living room, opening the balcony door quietly.

The frigid air blew around him, cooling him off. He took a deep breath, letting the cold fill him and calm him. From his pocket he felt his phone buzz and took it out. There was only one person that would ever think to call him at such impossible hour.

"Elijah, it's nearly four in the morning here." He answered, turning to face the glowing lights of Mayberry West University.

"I am aware. I felt that you should know Christmas is quickly approaching." Elijah replied in that irritatingly formal voice of his. Despite his annoyance, Klaus smiled genuinely. Hearing his brother's voice calmed him even more from his nightmare.

"Obviously. What of it?"

"We will be coming to Mayberry Hills for Christmas. I've gotten hold of Rebecca and she agrees it would be, in her words, 'fun.' What say you, brother?" Elijah responded.

Klaus chuckled softly. "I agree with her, of course. The town is small, nothing like London, but I know both of you will love it."

"Perhaps we will also get to see your shop and your work as well. Rebecca has been dying to get a tattoo done by you and so have I." Klaus could practically see the wry smile in Elijah's voice. He knew his brother like the back of his hand.

"Well, brother, we shall see how serious you are about that when the two of you arrive. How long will you be staying?"

"The week before Christmas through to New Year's."

"Noted."

"Also," Elijah added. "Rebecca has asked, or perhaps _demanded_ is more appropriate, that you do not purchase a Christmas tree or decorations until we arrive. She said something about Vermont having the best trees."

They both shared a laugh and a comfortable silence followed. Klaus toyed with the idea of what he was about to say, still clinging to the thought that he didn't want to jinx what he and Caroline had. It wouldn't be conventional to tell his brother about her when they'd only met each other days ago. But he could not hold it in. He felt happiness brimming inside of him at the mere thought of her.

"Elijah, I've met someone." The words came out of his mouth so fast that he was unsure, for a moment, if he'd even uttered them.

A slight pause followed before Elijah spoke. "Details, brother."

"I can't not yet. I don't want to ruin this. Just…I just wanted you to know I've met someone is all." Klaus felt like a teenager again. Elijah sometimes had the tendency of making Klaus feel like his child and by that token, Klaus sometimes felt more as if he were Elijah's own son. Their relationship was more brother to brother than father to child.

"Of course. Will we be meeting this person at Christmas?" Elijah sounded neither annoyed nor judgmental.

Klaus took a deep breath. "I hope so."

* * *

Caroline woke when she realized the space in the bed next to her was empty. She looked around and noticed that the bedroom door was open. She could hear Klaus' voice coming from what was presumably outside. She pulled down the sleeves of the hoodie she was wearing and ignored the cold that had now settled across her feet.

In the living room she could see the door to the balcony open and Klaus pacing back and forth with the phone pressed to his ear. From where she stood she could see a smile on Klaus' face and walked closer.

"I cannot wait to see the both of you. It's been ages." He said.

Caroline picked up the throw from the sofa as she walked outside toward the balcony. She could feel the cold air blasting into the apartment and decided to just sit in the armchair. She pulled the throw tightly around her and folded her feet deep into the chair as she continued to listen to Klaus.

"I should hope that you won't spare expenses for gifts this year, brother. You know how Rebecca is. She's going to want you to go big this year. Family reunion and all." This was followed by that bark like laugh that seemed to warm Caroline from the inside out.

"Yes, yes, of course, Elijah. I'll try to call you later in the week if you aren't too busy. Goodbye, brother." With that, Klaus hung up and came back inside, shutting the balcony doors firmly behind him.

"How long have you been awake?" Klaus asked, startling Caroline.

She peered up at him through still groggy eyes and shrugged. "Not long. I noticed you weren't in the bed and I came to investigate."

Klaus walked back to the bedroom, Caroline following closely behind. Moments later they were within the cocoon of warmth the bed and each other provided. Klaus pulled Caroline tightly against him. "My brother and sister are coming to visit for Christmas. Elijah doesn't care about the time difference. He usually calls whenever he pleases."

Caroline smiled as she closed her eyes and settled against Klaus. "He sounds hilarious. That's something Elena would have done." She was asleep again soon after that.

Klaus only had a vague idea of who Elena was from Caroline, but from what he could discern, they were best friends. His last thought as he went to sleep once more was that he would try to get them to come to Mayberry for Christmas as well. He felt inside that that would be the perfect gift for Caroline.

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_**A/N: Well, what did you guys think? Until next time…**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: So, there will be a slight time jump of about a week in this chapter. Also, after this I may not be able to post until 2 weeks from now. Midterms are fast approaching. I will also be trying to move back around to the Harry Potter story I'm writing. Anyway, enjoy this chapter!**_

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"All the tables have candy and I'm about to start putting the pumpkins out. Is there anything else you need?"

Caroline blinked and took in Davina standing in front of her wearing a Catwoman costume.

"Could you check to make sure everything behind the bar is ready for drinks?" she asked, exasperated and stressed.

Davina gave her a kind smile and gently squeezed her arm. "Already checked. Now, all that's left is the music and your costume."

Caroline groaned as she brought her hands up to her face. "I totally forgot about that stuff! Dammit!"

Suddenly, Davina took her hand and pulled her toward the office and break room in the back. "No worries, Care, I have _both_ of those things covered."

She sat down at the table and began sipping from a cup of water as she tried to wish the headache she had to go away. The bright light of the break room made her head feel close to exploding. She buried her head in her arms as she heard Davina bustling around. It was nearly 9pm and the Halloween party at Enzo's Coffee House was set to start soon.

"What do you think?"

Caroline looked up and saw Davina holding a bright blue and white dress on a hanger with white stockings draped across the top. She frowned slightly and glanced back up at Davina.

"What on earth is that?" She wasn't quite sure if she liked it or not.

"You're going to be Alice from Alice in Wonderland! I thought it would look cute on you! Josh agreed and supplied the black headband and the shoes." Davina looked so pleased with herself and the costume that Caroline found rejecting it would be rather difficult.

Thirty minutes later, Caroline was examining her costume with a nervous and critical eye. The dress was...short to say the least. The stockings were more like garters and she was thankful that at least the dress covered them. The shoes could hardly be called shoes. They were 6 inch heels thay Caroline found she had to hold on to something to stand up in them. Davina made sure her makeup was not too extreme, and for that she was grateful.

Enzo's filled up quickly with students from Mayberry West and Caroline was soon up to her eyeballs in drink orders. Davina made her way through the crowd and was soon at the bar.

"I got it from here. Go introduce yourself on stage! The band should be here in a bit!" she said.

Caroline was all but ecstatic to do just what Davina suggested and soon found herself on the small stage at the front of the shop. There were plenty of people in costumes ranging from creative to crazy to downright trashy.

"Thanks for coming out tonight, everyone. The winner of best costume will be revealed at midnight and there's food in the back so...enjoy yourselves!" She smiled shortly as everyone clapped and hollered before the music came back on.

Davina had given her Excedrin for her headache but Caroline didn't think it was working. She sighed as she moved to the entrance of the shop and stood outside. She relit the pumpkins and adjusted the candy before leaning against the outside window of the shop.

Caroline was downright exhausted lately. She hadn't been able to see Klaus in a week, though they texted and called each other every few days. Professor Haughton was demanding the first fourth of the portfolio for theeir final assignment which meant that Caroline had to try to take pictures of flowers in and around Mayberry. It was a fun distraction when the weather was good, but the last few days had been cold and gray. She did as much as she could on the bright sunny days and that was going to have to suffice for now.

Between her project, her other classes, and work, there hadn't been much time for Caroline to stop and rest. It only got worse when Enzo informed her that she was to plan the Halloween party for the shop because he wouldn't be back in Mayberry until the following day. Luckily, he did say he would be paying her double for running the shop while he was away. He'd asked her to hire on more people, as the only two others besides Caroline had quit last week.

Davina and her best friend Josh had been more than happy to work at the shop and Caroline was also able to hire an older woman named Rose to be an assistand manager. She wouldn't have to work as much now that there was more help in the shop, and with midterms coming, she was relieved to know that.

"Shouldn't you be inside?" a voice said, shaking Caroline out of her tired thoughts.

She looked up and saw the one and only Enzo standing there with a bright grin on his face.

"I'm getting some air. Besides, I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow." she replied, standing a little straighter.

"You look dog tired, gorgeous. Why don't you take off for the night? I'll call you if we need you."

Caroline laughed softly before responding. "Are you sure? I don't mind staying."

"I'm sure," Enzo said. "Besides, I'm your boss. So, beat it!" He was openly laughing now and Caroline found that it was contagious. Still, she listened to him and went to retrieve her things from the breakroom.

The hordes of trick-or-treating children made the journey back to her apartment far longer, but finally she arrived, practically flinging the black heels away from her pained feet. She showered and came back to the living room with her backpack and laptop before getting a mug of hot chocolate and settling in to do some studying.

Luckily, she only had two actual tests for midterms: American History and Art History. She had to turn in one fourth of her project for Natural Photography, write a three page essay on The Picture of Dorian Gray for English Lit, and had to write another three page essay for Psychology. She'd already finished the two essays and the first part of the portfolio. All she had left was to study for American and Art History.

She was certain she'd been studying for hours when she heard her phone buzz on the coffee table. Sighing, she closed her laptop and put it on the table before picking up the phone. It was a message from Klaus:

**Klaus: Are you busy?**

Unknowingly, a smile graced Caroline's face as she poised her fingers to type back:

**Me: I was studying. Why?**

Hearing her stomach growl, Caroline took her phone with her to the kitchen. Deciding to cook while waiting on Klaus' reply, she took out some salmon, brown rice, and a salad. She'd only just taken the salmon out of the oven when she heard her phone buzz again. After making sure the rice and salad were done, she picked up her phone again.

**Klaus: I wanted to see you. Could I come to your apartment?**

She was tired from work and studying, and she was almost certain that if Klaus came over she would probably just go to sleep. Still, she hadn't seen him in a week and she did miss him. He had a way of making her stress go away.

**Me: Sure. It's the brown apartment building on Avery Road. 3****rd**** floor, number 3. **

She warmed the oven to keep the salmon and rice warm and put the salad in the fridge. Dinner could wait until Klaus arrived. She took in her long sleeved Mayberry West t-shirt, tights, thick socks, and ridiculous ponytail, wondering if she should change into something more presentable. She wondered if it would matter to Klaus.

All too soon, she heard a knock on her front door and raced to answer it. A smile touched her face when she saw Klaus standing there with roses in his hands and that shy smile of his. She raced forward, hugging him tightly, nearly crushing the flowers, and let him in.

"I just made dinner, if you're hungry. It's salmon, brown rice, and salad."

He took his jacket and scarf off and set the roses on the counter, watching with an amused expression as Caroline started making a plate of food for him. He'd eaten not long ago, but he didn't care. He would eat whatever she cooked for him.

"I was beginning to forget what you looked like." He commented as she walked toward him. "By the way, that looks absolutely delicious."

She smiled and poured two glasses of water before finally settling in at the bar to eat with him. They ate in comfortable silence and Caroline realized now that she wasn't nearly as sleepy as she'd believed herself to be. When they finished eating, Klaus helped Caroline wash the dishes and she laughed when he splashed a bit of water on her. It turned into a water fight and the apartment was filled with the two of them giggling and laughing uncontrollably like children. Caroline was laughing when she turned away from Klaus and slipped, falling on top of her arm.

A sudden pain sprung up her arm and she let out a cry. Klaus immediately sprung down to help her up, a worried look on his face. "Shit! God, Caroline, I'm so sorry! What's wrong?"

Caroline sat up, hiding her face in her hands. "It hurts!"

Klaus dropped down beside her, trying to pry her hands away from her face. "What's wrong?"

Suddenly, she was laughing and rubbing her arm. "I just fell on it is all. Everything is fine!" she choked out between bouts of laughter. It doubled when she saw the bland look on Klaus' face.

"That is _not_ funny! You scared the shit out of me!" But even as he said this, Caroline knew he wasn't mad.

He helped her up and pulled her against him and the mood suddenly changed. She was very aware of how close she was to him. She could feel his breath against her face and his hands around her waist seemed to send tingling sensations all over her body. He was gazing at her with those oceanic eyes of his, eyes that made her think he could see through her.

It felt as if the two of them were being pulled together. The space between them lessened and their lips connected them. It was neither rushed nor heated. It felt as if everything in Caroline's world was finally adding up. It felt nice and sweet but still overwhelming and life changing. It felt, for lack of a better word, correct.

She felt him lift her up onto the island and she pulled him tighter to her. Her legs wrapped around his waist, ensuring that he could not move away from her. Finally, after what felt like a happy eternity, she pulled away and smiled at him. An elated feeling filled her and she felt like she was floating.

"I can't remember the last time something made me so happy." Klaus whispered, his forehead against hers.

"I think I could say the same thing."

* * *

_**A/N: What did you think? This is kinda a filler chapter for some really delicious stuff coming up. Hint: it has to do with Elena. Until next time…**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: I won't even apologize for the late update. I already know I slacked off. With Christmas break coming up, I'm hoping I will have more time to update. Anyways, onward.**_

* * *

Caroline was passing all of her classes with flying colors. Professor Haughton loved Caroline's project and told her she couldn't wait until it was finished. That encouraged Caroline to expand on her project somehow, but she was not quite sure how she wanted to do that. She was thinking about this when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

She hadn't looked to see who called as she was currently trying gather her camera and locate her bag. It was a bright and sunny Saturday and she wanted to take advantage of it.

"Caroline? It's Elena."

She froze where she was. She had not heard that voice in months. Of course, she never outright told her friends back in Mystic Falls that she was moving or why she'd stopped talking to them. She had only hoped they would get the hint and give her some time.

"Elena! How have you been?"

She was sitting on her bed now, absently twirling a large chunk of her hair.

"I've been good! I've missed you like crazy! Well, we all have. Do you think you'll come for Thanksgiving?"

Caroline opened and closed her mouth, trying to force words out of her mouth. Finally, she sighed and closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Elena. I don't think-"

"It's fine, Care. We get it. I'll talk to you later."

The room was filled with an overwhelming silence. Her heart hurt and she was breathing far too fast. She could hear her blood rushing through her ears. Then she was crying.

She wanted to go back to Mystic Falls. She really did. But Mystic Falls reminded her of her mother and her failed relationship with her father. It reminded her of everything she had been before her life changed forever.

Caroline gripped her blanket tightly as she pulled it over her head, sobbing until she thought her eyes might fall out of her head. She was exhausted in so many ways. She thought she had been doing well lately. She'd been smiling, laughing, and talking more, but today reminded her that the pain she felt was eternal. It would never go away.

* * *

"She said no, just like you said she would."

Klaus smiled to himself. "Good. That makes this a lot easier. I would like for you, Bonnie, and the rest of your friends to come here to Mayberry for Thanksgiving. She might not want to come back home, but perhaps home could come to her."

"That's very nice of you, Klaus. Of course, we will be there. We can surprise her the day before. She's going to love it. I'll call you Wednesday when we land."

"Of course. Goodbye, Elena."

He was excited. Thanksgiving was fast approaching and while he knew Caroline would not want to go back to Mystic Falls, he figured it might be better if she finally saw her friends. The way he saw it, she might either love it or hate it, though Klaus was never a person to back down from a challenge.

"Who was that?" A voice asked.

Klaus looked up and saw Marcel in the doorway with that same broad smile on his face.

"Can you keep a secret?" Klaus replied cryptically.

Marcel let out a soft laugh and closed the door behind him, settling down on the sofa across from Klaus' desk. "To my grave, Klaus. What is it?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He would have to be certain Marcel wouldn't share any part of his plan with Davina. She was a lovely person but her ability to hold secrets was weaker than a plastic bag holding twenty cinder blocks.

"I've invited Caroline's friends here for Thanksgiving."

A look of understanding passed through his best friend's eyes. "You want it to be a surprise," he answered. "My lips are sealed."

* * *

Caroline finally got out and got some photography done. She went through the woods, but stuck close to the highway to avoid getting lost. Being outside with her camera distracted her from her earlier feelings and she was glad she was able to pull herself out of her bed to ensure the day was not a total loss.

She was walking back to her apartment when her cellphone rang for the second time that day. Peering down at the caller ID, she let out a breath of relief upon seeing it was Klaus calling her. He told her to dress nicely as he would be taking her to dinner that night.

2 hours later found Caroline getting out of a much needed bath and applying her make up while steamrollers took residence in her hair. A bright red dress was draped over her bed and she'd dug her favorite black heels out of her closet. She eyed the time on her phone as she finished her makeup and swore. Klaus was supposed to be arriving in ten minutes.

She quickly pulled on her dress and ran lotion across her arms and legs. Just as she was pulling on her heels, she heard a knock on her front door. Giving herself a onceover in the mirror, she nodded and went to open the door.

Klaus stood there in a dark red sweater, dark pants, and dress shoes and was holding a bouquet of roses in his hands. He handed them to her with a wide smile on his face. "You look absolutely stunning, Caroline."

Caroline smiled in response and let him step inside her apartment. "You can wait here for a bit. I just have to put these in some water and get my coat. I won't be long."

She tried not to rush around her apartment for fear of sweating and screwing up her makeup. It took her a solid ten minutes to decide which of her coats went better with her dress and ten more minutes to search the storage closet for a vase Elena had given her a few years back for her birthday.

Finally, she was ready and rushed back to the living room where Klaus made a big show of pretending to be asleep and waking up when he heard her enter the room. "Good lord, woman, it took you long enough! I was certain I might have wasted away into nothing before you'd be ready."

Caroline rolled her eyes in reply and pulled on her coat before tugging a scarf around her neck on pulling on dark leather gloves. "Ha ha. Where are we going, Klaus?"

They were outside and nearly three blocks away before he finally decided to tell her. "There is a wonderful seafood restaurant near the school. They have quite possibly the most amazing salmon cakes I have ever experienced. I thought it was only right that I allow you to experience those small pieces of heaven."

The wind blew hard around them, practically knocking Caroline into Klaus' side. Her legs and feet felt like blocks of ice and she was beginning to regret not wearing thigh-high boots. She didn't actually mind being closer to Klaus. Her stomach fluttered every time he pulled her closer to him.

"I didn't know you liked seafood. You strike me as a Thai person, or maybe Indian. For some reason I kept picturing you loving those foods more." She watched as a puff of air escaped her mouth with every word she spoke and smiled slightly.

"You would be correct in that assumption, love. I barely like seafood, but I will only eat seafood if it is from this restaurant."

They crossed the street then and rounded a corner before they were on Mayberry Main. The school was a beacon of lights in the distance. About halfway there, she saw a bright neon sign for a restaurant called Cami's. It was nicer than she would've expected a restaurant near a university would be, and she found that she was suddenly hungry.

When they entered, they were brought to a cozy corner booth that gave them a modicum of privacy. When they were both seated and had ordered their drinks, their conversations moved to other things.

"How is your project coming along?" he asked, before taking a sip of the sweet tea he'd ordered.

Caroline sighed and began playing with her hands. "My teacher loves it, and I kind of want to expand on it a bit. I was really excited about it until this morning."

Concern flashed across Klaus' face. "What happened this morning?"

A small silence stretched between them before Caroline spoke again. "Elena called and asked if I was coming to Mystic Falls for Thanksgiving." She looked at Klaus with a slightly nervous look on her face. He gestured for her to continue. "I told her I wouldn't. I mean I would but it's just…too much too soon."

"Your mother?" Klaus guessed.

"Yeah," she replied. "It sucks."

Things were quiet between them after that. Their food was delivered soon after. Klaus insisted Caroline get the salmon cakes and she'd insisted that he try something different and get the stuffed lobster tails.

Later, Klaus walked Caroline back to her apartment and he came in at her insistence. She'd gotten changed into a large t-shirt and he'd changed into the track pants and t-shirt he'd started keeping at her house recently.

They were sitting on the sofa watching the episodes of Once Upon A Time that Caroline had missed when her cell phone rang for the third time that day. This time, it wasn't a number she recognized. She answered anyway.

"Hello?"

"Is this Caroline Forbes?" a female voice asked from the other end.

"Who wants to know?"

There was a pause on the other end before the person spoke again. "My name's Maria Forbes. I think you're my sister."

* * *

_**A/N: Well, isn't that interesting? Until next time…**_


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